| Getting Married in the District of Columbia |
Marriage License Information
The minimum age for marriage in the District of Columbia is 18 years or 16 years with the consent of a
parent or guardian. Proof of age for the applicant's must be shown and may be demonstrated by
driver's licenses, birth certificates, passports, or similar official documents. The Marriage License
Application fee is $35.00 and the Certificate of Marriage, issued with the license, is $10.00. The
total fee of $45.00 must be paid by cash or money order (made out to Clerk, D.C. Superior
Court) for the application to be accepted.
The Marriage License Application must include social security numbers, addresses, dates of birth for
both parties as well as previous marriage information, that is, the city, state, country of each marriage
and the ending status of each, such as, by divorce or death. Home and work telephone numbers for
both parties are also requested.
Religious celebrants and judges other than those of the D.C. Courts must be authorized by the Court
and registered by the Marriage Bureau in order to perform legal marriages in the District of Columbia.
The full name of the intended celebrant must be given at the time of the application for verification and
placement on the license. Otherwise, a request for a Civil Wedding may be made and a clerk will
attempt to schedule the marriage ceremony with a court official on or near the date you request, but not
sooner than ten business days after your license becomes valid.
The law requires a premarital blood test for syphilis (VDRL) and negative results placed (certified) on a
District of Columbia Health Department form, DHS 366, for the license to be issued. The forms for
both parties must be submitted at the time of application. This premarital blood test result is only valid
for 30 days. In the District of Columbia a physician, clinic, hospital, or military medical facility will
often have the forms available to certify the test results.
Blood test results from independent laboratories or from other jurisdictions that do not have the DHS
form available, will need to be submitted to the D.C. Serology Laboratory, in the John Daly Building
(Municipal Center), at 301 C Street N.W., Room 6154, Washington, D.C. 20001 (202-727-8956). The
Serology Laboratory charges $10 and accepts payment only in the form of check or money order.
By law, three full days must pass between the day of application to the day that the license can be
issued. The fee payment receipt is required to pick up the license. Marriage licenses are not issued by
mail.
The minimum age for marriage in the District of Columbia is 18 years or 16 years with the consent of a
parent or guardian. Proof of age for the applicant's must be shown and may be demonstrated by
driver's licenses, birth certificates, passports, or similar official documents. The Marriage License
Application fee is $35.00 and the Certificate of Marriage, issued with the license, is $10.00. The
total fee of $45.00 must be paid by cash or money order (made out to Clerk, D.C. Superior
Court) for the application to be accepted.
The Marriage License Application must include social security numbers, addresses, dates of birth for
both parties as well as previous marriage information, that is, the city, state, country of each marriage
and the ending status of each, such as, by divorce or death. Home and work telephone numbers for
both parties are also requested.
Religious celebrants and judges other than those of the D.C. Courts must be authorized by the Court
and registered by the Marriage Bureau in order to perform legal marriages in the District of Columbia.
The full name of the intended celebrant must be given at the time of the application for verification and
placement on the license. Otherwise, a request for a Civil Wedding may be made and a clerk will
attempt to schedule the marriage ceremony with a court official on or near the date you request, but not
sooner than ten business days after your license becomes valid.
The law requires a premarital blood test for syphilis (VDRL) and negative results placed (certified) on a
District of Columbia Health Department form, DHS 366, for the license to be issued. The forms for
both parties must be submitted at the time of application. This premarital blood test result is only valid
for 30 days. In the District of Columbia a physician, clinic, hospital, or military medical facility will
often have the forms available to certify the test results.
Blood test results from independent laboratories or from other jurisdictions that do not have the DHS
form available, will need to be submitted to the D.C. Serology Laboratory, in the John Daly Building
(Municipal Center), at 301 C Street N.W., Room 6154, Washington, D.C. 20001 (202-727-8956). The
Serology Laboratory charges $10 and accepts payment only in the form of check or money order.
By law, three full days must pass between the day of application to the day that the license can be
issued. The fee payment receipt is required to pick up the license. Marriage licenses are not issued by
mail.
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| DG&F Wedding Consulting |